1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a portable terminal, and in particular, to a sliding-type portable terminal in which a pair of housings are slidably combined with each other.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, a portable terminal refers to an apparatus for providing a mobile communication function to users. Recently, the portable terminal has been used not only as a simple mobile communication apparatus but also as a multi-function apparatus that provides a multimedia service such as reproduction of music files and moving picture files and a financial service such as retail payment and mobile banking.
Portable terminals can be classified into bar-type terminals, flip-type terminals, and folder-type terminals according to their appearance. Recently emerging sliding-type terminals, together with the folder-type terminals, become mainstream in the portable terminal market.
The bar-type terminal has a single housing in which data input/output means, a transmitting unit (or mouthpiece), and a receiving unit (or earpiece) are mounted. The bar-type terminal is simple because all the components for a mobile communication function are installed in the single housing. However, there are limitations on miniaturization of the bar-type terminal because a sufficient distance should be maintained between the transmitting unit and the receiving unit.
In the flip-type terminal, a flip cover is rotatably mounted in a bar-shaped terminal to prevent malfunctioning by closing an input device like a keypad in a call standby mode. However, there are also limitations on miniaturization of the flip-type terminal because a sufficient distance should be maintained between a transmitting unit and a receiving unit.
In the folder-type terminal, a pair of housings are foldably combined with each other. An input device and an output device are separately disposed in the housings, thereby contributing miniaturization of the terminal and making it easy to secure a distance between a transmitting unit and a receiving unit. For these reasons, the folder-type terminal has become mainstream in the portable terminal market for a long period of time.
The sliding-type terminal has a pair of housings that are slidably combined with each other. An input device and an output device are separately disposed in the housings and a keypad as the input device is opened or closed by sliding of the housings, thereby preventing malfunction of the input device, facilitating the use of the terminal, and contributing to miniaturization of the terminal. For these reasons, the sliding-type terminal is gradually taking over the folder-type terminal market.
However, conventional sliding-type portable terminals are opened or closed simply horizontally or vertically. As a result, the sliding-type portable terminal has limitations in allowing the user to easily use functions of portable terminals which are gradually diversified. In other words, a mobile communication service using a portable terminal expands from voice communication and short message transmission to moving picture watching, broadcasting watching, the wireless Internet, games, and mobile banking. However, since conventional portable terminals are opened or closed by straight movement, they are suitable for one of the mobile communication services but may be inconvenient for other services or functions. For example, a terminal that is opened or closed by vertical sliding is suitable for voice communication, but is inconvenient for broadcasting watching or game playing. Moreover, a terminal that is opened or closed by horizontal sliding is suitable for broadcasting watching or game playing, but is inconvenient for functions that require many key-manipulation steps like message transmission and mail writing.